Upper Austria & Lower Austria
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Upper Austria & Lower Austria
Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) extends from the province of Lower Austria to the border with Germany. The Danube winds through Upper Austria, and Linz—the province’s capital and chief industrial center—sits on the river’s banks. The land in the north is an undulating plateau, but the south is mostly alpine. Forests cover one-third of the land, and the province’s economy is largely agricultural. Livestock farming is important, and farmers in the area harvest fruits, potatoes, rye, sugar beets, and wheat. Miners also extract salt and lignite (brown coal) from deposits here.
Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) is the largest of the nine federal provinces in Austria. The province borders both the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and since 1986, its capital has been Sankt Pölten, which lies 33 miles west of Vienna. The Semmering Pass and a section of the Danube are contained within the borders of Lower Austria, known as the cradle of the nation. The north is hilly, and the south, where tourism is important, contains parts of the Bavarian Alps. Much of the land is wooded, and sales of timber generate important revenue. Livestock rearing is widespread, and farmers harvest barley, fruit, maize, potatoes, rye, sugar beets, and wheat. Vineyards in the province also produce some of the finest wine in Austria, and truck farming is a leading activity around Vienna. The province’s industries produce cement, chemicals, metal products, rubber, and textiles.
